


DC Rain II - Double or Nothing (3/9)

by thebasement_archivist



Category: The X-Files
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-02-01
Updated: 2002-02-01
Packaged: 2018-11-20 15:20:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11338152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebasement_archivist/pseuds/thebasement_archivist
Summary: Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived atThe Basement, which moved to the AO3 to ensure the stories are always available and so that authors may have complete control of their own works. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address onThe Basement's collection profile.





	DC Rain II - Double or Nothing (3/9)

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Basement](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Basement), which moved to the AO3 to ensure the stories are always available and so that authors may have complete control of their own works. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Basement's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thebasement/profile).

D.C Rain II - Double or Nothing (3/9)

## D.C Rain II - Double or Nothing (3/9)

by Aries

Title: D.C Rain II - Double or Nothing (3/9)  
Author: Aries  
Feedback to:   
Author's Website:   
Status: Complete  
Category: Unclassified  
Pairing (Primary): Mulder/Krycek  
Pairing(s) (Secondary):   
Crossover Fandom (if any):   
Crossover Info (if any):   
Other Pairing Info:   
Rating: NC-17  
Spoilers:   
Permission to Archive:   
Series or Sequel/Prequel:   
Notes:   
Warnings:   
Disclaimer: 

Summary: 

D.C. Rain II - Double or Nothing  
by Aries  
Part 3 

* * *

"That didn't take too long." 

"Oh, no?" 

Scully rounded her desk and leaned against it . 

"No, I actually thought he'd have you in there most of the morning." 

"Sorry to disappoint you both." 

"Mulder." 

"There was nothing for us to discuss, Scully. I took weeks of unauthorized leave. Skinner took disciplinary action...it's done." 

"He didn't..." 

"Didn't what? Try to counsel me?" 

" _Talk_ , Mulder." 

"Sure, he did. I told him what I told you. Stay out of my personal life. Leave Alex alone." 

"He's concerned about you, Mulder. He considers you a friend." 

"My friends would understand or at the very least respect my feelings." 

"Your friends also would try to stop you from rushing headlong into disaster." 

Fox opened his mouth to fire back, but Scully interrupted quickly. 

"But...I've tried that. Several times already, and it's done absolutely no good. It's time to step back..." 

"Oh, yeah, and let me figure out for myself what a skanky rat he is." 

"I never said that, Mulder." 

"Wasn't too hard to figure out." He shrugged. "That's okay. Just know that you're going to have one bitch of a long wait. Speaking of long waits..." He picked up his coat and keys and headed back toward the door. 

"Where are you going?" 

"Home. Skinner suspended me for three weeks." 

Scully grimaced as her eyes dropped shut. 

"Damn." 

"Did you expect that he'd just shake his finger at me, pat me on the bum and send me on my way?" 

"I...I don't know what I...I'm sorry, Mulder." 

"Sorry that I got suspended, or sorry that Alex and I will have three long weeks together before I have to come back to work? 'Cause I gotta tell ya, that's definitely the shiny, bright side of this as far as I'm concerned." 

Scully turned away and said nothing. 

"Well, I'm going home, now," Fox announced, a smile in his voice. "Maybe take Alex out for a nice lunch." 

Scully stood quietly until her whistling partner had departed, and then she released a loud growl, swiping her arm over her desk, knocking several items to the floor. 

"Shit! Three weeks," she muttered, beginning to pace the length of the office. "Three goddamn weeks." 

Not what she'd had in mind. Not at all what she'd had in mind. 

* * *

"Honey, I'm home." 

A grinning Fox walked in to the apartment, tossing his keys onto the dining table and began to remove his coat. "Alex?" 

Silence. 

Frowning, he moved into the bedroom and looked around. The bed was neatly made, and all of the clothing had been picked up and put into the hamper beside the closet. Fox walked into the bathroom, noticing that his hairbrush sat on the counter alongside another. A smile replaced the frown, and he opened the medicine cabinet door. 

Two toothbrushes. 

Simple thing, yet it made his heart pound with happiness. 

As he moved back out into the main room, he looked around, noting that nothing out there had really changed except for the addition of the mantle clock on his bookshelf, which had just begun to chime the quarter hour. 

Another sappy grin lit his face as he walked over to the clock and fingered the old mahogany. 

A valued possession, he was sure of it now. Family heirloom perhaps. He'd have to remember to ask Alex about it. 

He looked around the empty room once more and sighed. 

Speaking of Alex, where the hell was he? 

* * *

"Sir, Agent Scully to see you." 

Skinner groaned softly and nodded to his secretary, who stepped aside just as the petite redhead blew past her. 

"Sir..." 

"I know what you're going to say, Scully," the A.D. murmured. "I know that handing him over to Krycek for three weeks was not what we wanted to do." 

"No, sir," Scully huffed, "it was not. I understand that you had to take disciplinary action but, suspension?" 

"I thought about this all night, Agent Scully. I lost sleep over it. I went as easy as I could on him without abusing my authority." 

"That may be so, sir, but these are extenuating circumstances." 

"And would you like me to explain them to the Director when he asks why I went so easy on Mulder?" 

No answer. 

"I have to walk a fine line here, Agent Scully. I'm sure you can appreciate that." 

"Yes sir, but this is Mulder's life we're talking about here. And whether he knows it or not, he needs our help." 

"But he doesn't want it. He's made that abundantly clear. You know Mulder, and you know he hates to be pushed. I think the best thing we can do is leave him alone." 

"I know how stubborn he gets. I know we should let this thing run its course; it's what I'd intended to do, but I don't know that I've got the patience. It's very hard to stand by and watch him fall deeper and deeper under that snake's spell. And three weeks with him... _alone_..." 

"I'm very sorry, Scully. I wish there was more I could do." 

Unable to give voice to her true frustration, Scully nodded and turned to leave. 

"I'd be interested to know how things are going," Skinner called as the woman opened the door. She paused for a moment, then azure eyes turned his way. 

"I can't imagine that Mulder's going to let me get close enough to find out. Guess we'll have to wait the three weeks to find out how much more damage has been done." 

Skinner wanted to say something; opened his mouth to, but nothing would come out. Instead he lowered his head, keeping his gaze to the floor long after the door had opened and closed. 

* * *

Fox exited the bedroom, pulling his t-shirt down over his head as he heard the key in the lock. The door opened, and Alex walked in, hauling seven plastic grocery bags with him. He blinked in surprise as Fox rushed forward to help him. 

"I was wondering where you went." "What're you doing here?" 

Fox grinned in answer and took the bags out of Alex's left hand, allowing him to flex his cramped fingers. 

"I missed you." 

"So you left work before noon? Oh...wait...wait...Fox, tell me Skinner hasn't started dismissal proceedings." 

"No, I just got suspended." 

"Shit. For how long?" 

"Three weeks without pay." 

" _Shit_. 

"Okay, you don't sound nearly as happy as I feel." 

"Because I'm not. Fox, you were suspended. I...I didn't think he'd do that to you. Jesus. Is that it?" 

"Formal reprimand." 

" _Shit_." 

"You said that already." 

"Because I don't know what the hell else to say." 

"You don't have to say anything." Fox turned and walked toward the kitchen, Alex a few steps behind. "So, what'd you get? And how'd you get it all back here?" 

"Taxi. Fox, I..." 

"You should've waited for me. I could've gone myself, or you could have taken the car..." 

"Dammit, Fox." 

The older man set the bags down on the counter and turned to face his distressed lover. 

"Come on, babe, don't be so upset." 

"How can I not be? This is serious. And it's because of me." 

"No, it's because I disregarded Bureau policy." 

"Because of me. Because you were chasing after me." 

"Because Scully ran you off." 

"Because she...she cares about you. And she's afraid for you." 

"No, because she's a self righteous know it all who thinks I can't take care of myself." 

Alex prepared to launch into his comeback, then stopped short. 

"We're getting way off track, here. Fox, you were suspended and reprimanded..." 

"Yeah, I was. What would you like me to do about it? I'm not real good at groveling, so..." 

Alex lowered his head, emitting an exasperated sigh. 

Taking the remaining bags from the younger man's hand, Fox put them down alongside the others. He reached out, grasping Alex's wrist and pulled him against his chest. 

"It's all right, baby," Fox whispered, brushing Alex's lips with his own. "Please don't go and put all the blame on yourself." 

"That's where it belongs," Alex replied just as softly. 

Fox hugged the other tightly to him, feeling the pain in his voice. 

"Cut it out, or I'm going to start thinking you don't want to spend three weeks alone with me." 

//Cut it out, or he's going to get sick and tired of your whiny guilt trips.// 

"M'sorry," Alex murmured, his face buried in the side of Fox's neck. "I give thanks for every second I can spend with you. I...I'm just..." 

"I know," Fox interrupted softly. "I appreciate your concern, I really do." He smiled into the younger man's hair. "I know it's 'cause you love me." 

"I do." Alex clutched the back of Fox's t-shirt, rubbing his face against the other man's shoulder. "Please don't ever forget it." 

Gently, Fox grasped a handful of sable hair and pulled Alex's head up and back. Their eyes met, and Fox began to massage the back of the younger man's head. 

"I won't." 

Alex submitted to a tender kiss, then was pulled away and made the focus of a loving, amber-flecked stare. 

"Let's put this stuff away and go somewhere for lunch." 

"If you want...but, Fox, listen. I'm paying for lunch. And the groceries, and the rent..." 

"Whoa, whoa." 

"Please, Fox," Alex begged softly. "While I was out this morning, I opened a bank account, but I..." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, withdrawing the three thousand dollars he had originally taken from the other man. "This is yours. And God only knows how much you spent chasing me down. I need to give that back to you. I need to start..." 

"Alex," Fox cut the younger man off. "I didn't ask..." 

"I...I know you didn't. But I need...I...I need to feel like I'm not..." He stopped and heaved a deep breath. 

"Hey." Fox pulled Alex back into his arms. "Come on, finish. You need to feel like you're not what?" 

Alex looked up into his lover's eyes and momentarily lost track of his thoughts. 

"Tell me." 

"I...uh...I don't want to feel that I've taken advantage of you in any way." 

Fox's first instinct was to argue the point, but common sense intervened and told him that this is what Alex needed, and it would be far from productive to deny him his wishes. 

"All right. If it'll make you feel better." 

"It will. How much do you think you went through during those five weeks?" 

Fox shrugged. I don't know. We can work it out later, okay?" He gave the younger man a mischievous grin. "I need some time to pad my numbers." 

The comment made Alex laugh, and the somber mood was broken. 

"C'mon." Fox lightly slapped the other man's ass then released him and began to empty the first bag. "Let's get this stuff put away and get out of here." 

Fox finished unloading one bag and went to work on the next, frowning as he did so. "What's all this?" 

Alex stored the milk carton and turned to see what Fox was talking about. He chuckled softly and walked over to where the other stood. 

"They're called fruits and vegetables." He reached into the pile and held one up before Fox's eyes. "This is an orange. And this is a head of lettuce..." 

Fox stared blankly as Alex continued to identify the produce. 

"Here we have a tomato..." 

"Funny. Why are they here?" 

"We're going to eat them." 

"You're not going to make me start eating healthy, are you?" "Something wrong with that?" 

"You were living in California too long." 

"I'm not a complete health freak or anything, but I do enjoy fruits and salads. Even before I moved to California." Alex fished through the remaining bags and pulled out a bag of salt and vinegar chips then a box of chocolate chip cookies, presenting both to the relieved man. "Feel better?" 

"Yeah. For a minute there, I thought we were going to have to tape a line down the middle of the refrigerator." 

Alex issued a soft grunt, and the two finished stocking the groceries. When they were finished, Fox led him into the living room, where he retrieved hid jacket from the hall closet. 

"Where d'you want to go?" 

"I don't know," Alex answered. You're the one who's starving; you pick a place...and remember, I'm paying." 

"Right." That devilish grin appeared again, and Fox snatched up his keys as he led the way out of the apartment. "That's why wherever we go, it's gonna be someplace expensive." 

* * *

Chicken salad. 

On honey wheat bread. 

Woo hoo. 

//Wonder what Mulder's having for lunch right now.// 

Scully sat slumped at her desk, her mind beginning to create the most unwelcome images. 

Alex Krycek. That despicable, low life, gorgeous bastard. Sprawled over the sofa she'd sat on so many times...skin tight jeans pushed down past his hips, and Mulder, her delusional, love sick partner on his knees, sucking voraciously at the other man's cock. 

She could hear his soft groans build to a ferocious roar as he exploded. She could see his body...the body she remembered so vividly from those few brief jarring moments in the cabin, spasming as he came...his eyes, those mesmerizing emerald eyes, glazed over with lust then hidden by the sinfully thick fringe of lashes as he hit his peak then came down. 

And Mulder. 

Immersed in bliss, tremendously self satisfied with his accomplishment. Head rested high on Krycek's thigh, eyes closed, a little smile curving his lips... 

"Son of a bitch," she whispered through gritted teeth, slamming the remnants of her sandwich down on the desk. 

She hated the thought of them together. And she hated her reasons for hating it. 

Well, not all of them. 

She did love Mulder. He was her best friend. For years they were closer than she and either of her brothers, and they'd trusted each other implicitly. 

And now one man had taken their relationship and trashed it. 

He'd hypnotized Mulder; twisted him so completely that he'd forgotten who he was and worse, forgotten that she was his best friend...someone who would always be on his side...who would do anything she had to, to make sure no one ever hurt him... 

Who would never hurt him, herself. 

Christ. 

Yet she couldn't stop herself from thinking about doing the one thing that she knew would kill him. She couldn't stop the fantasizing, the wishing, the hoping. 

She couldn't halt the ever-growing envy of her partner, and the antagonism she felt toward his lover...the object of her dangerously consuming lust. 

"What the hell am I going to do?" she asked the walls. 

//What do you want to do?// 

"Can't." 

//Yeah, you can.// 

"He hates me." 

//And your point would be? You hate him. Doesn't stop you from wanting to fuck him blind, does it?// 

"God, no." 

//Then for Christ's sake, go get him. Where there's a will there's a way. Mulder need never know...// 

She sat repeatedly picking bits of crust from her sandwich, eyes tightly closed. 

"He need never know..." 

Green eyes watched longingly as the coffee cup rose to Fox's lips and was lowered back to the table. The older man gave his lunch partner an amused grin then spoke. 

"What's with the look?" 

"Look?" 

"Yeah." Fox leaned in close, drawing Alex into the heat of his gaze. " _Look_." 

Alex matched his smoky tone. 

"What look is that?" 

The other man paused a moment, drawing breath then releasing it on a soft moan. 

"Predatory." 

"Oh. Well...I guess I just like the way you drink coffee." 

One golden-brown eyebrow arched upward. 

"How's it any different from the way anyone else drinks their coffee?" 

Alex shrugged. "It just is. It's so...sensuous." 

Fox emitted a soft laugh. "You sound like a man who didn't get any this morning." 

"I think I'd sound like this if I had gotten some half an hour ago. You do that to me." 

"Can't say I'm sorry." 

Before he had a chance to respond, lunch arrived, and Fox dug into his plate while Alex investigated his own lunch. 

"Looks good." 

"I've had that before. It is." 

Silence descended for a while, then Alex initiated another conversation. 

"So, what do you think it ran you for those five weeks?" 

"...Thirty-five thousand." 

"Okay." 

"Alex, I was kidding. Jesus, you didn't even bat an eyelash." 

"If that's what it was, that's what it was. I sure as hell wouldn't ask you to account for every penny." 

"And so you'd let me bleed you dry?" 

"I wouldn't be dry. Fox, I..." 

//Just say it.// 

"I didn't come cheap. Not by a long shot. I'd make thousands a night sometimes. I fooled around a little with some high yield stocks, and I did pretty well. Aside from rent, food and utilities, I had no bills." Alex shrugged, watching for a reaction. "I've got almost a half million." 

"Oh." 

Alex immediately dropped his gaze, wishing he had just shut the help up about it. 

"So, in that case..." 

The younger man warily lifted his eyes and waited. 

"Can I have dessert?" 

Relief washed over Alex's face, and he laughed softly. 

"You can have anything you want." 

"Gee, thanks," Fox answered, grinning. 

"So, what'll you have?" 

The grin faded, and the heat returned to the gilded eyes. 

"I'll have you." 

Alex's cock twitched. 

" _Will_ you?" 

"Yeah." 

"You think all these people would appreciate that?" 

Fox's deep chuckle sent a thread of electricity crackling through Alex's middle. 

"While I'd love nothing more than to throw you up on this table, I'll restrain myself until we get home. And then, Krycek..." Fox came to a dead stop, and his eyebrows turned down into a concerned frown as he watched Alex's expression go cloudy, and his breathing turn erratic. 

"What is it? ...Alex, what's the matter? Did I say something wrong?" 

"No," Alex sighed heavily. "It's just..." He cast a sad smile at the older man. 

"Until we get home. You say it so easily. Like it's always been that way." He lowered his gaze to his plate. "It's been your home for so many years, and that...that you would so readily accept me into it... It...it's just kind of...it sort of stops me cold, you know? It takes my breath away." 

Slowly, Fox's hand inched across the table, stopping when it came in contact with Alex's. His fingertips caressed the younger man's knuckles then the back of his hand, and he looked directly into his lover's eyes. "And makes you unhappy?" 

" _No_. No, it...it's just..." He licked at suddenly too-dry lips and fell silent. 

Fox rose from his chair and picked it up, placing it diagonally to Alex's, then sat back down. Now seated mere inches apart, he placed his hand on the table, palm side up, and looked to his lover. 

Alex hesitated for a few long seconds then slid his hand into Fox's, his skin tingling at the smooth warmth. The other man closed his fingers, forming a secure grip as Alex looked around the restaurant. 

"People are going to start looking..." 

"Let them," was the older man's only reply as he picked up his fork with his free hand, and speared a red bliss potato. He held it up to Alex's lips, waiting until the younger man accepted his offering, then began to feed himself. 

"Tell me about that clock of yours," he said sometime later when Alex seemed a bit more at ease. 

"It was my grandmother's. I..." He looked up at Fox, eyes reflecting his uncertainty. "Do you mind that I put it up on your bookshelf? I can take it down if..." 

"No, I don't mind. I told you to do whatever you wanted. I was just curious about it. I remember seeing it at both of your apartments." 

"It's just about all I have left of my family." 

"I figured it might be something like that." 

Alex nodded. "I loved that clock. My mother used to tell me that when I was really, really little, I'd always want her to pick me up so I could watch the pendulum swing back and forth, and I'd get all excited when it chimed." He expelled a quick breath. "The things that entertain little kids... 

"Anyway, when I was going off to the Academy, my mother gave it to me. A little piece of home, she'd called it." His gaze grew distant. "That, a few pictures, and my clothes are about all I've got that belong to me. Everything else was just temporary." 

Fox lifted the hand he still held, to his lips. 

"I belong to you," he informed the younger man softly then kissed the back of his hand. 

Alex bit down on his lower lip to keep it from trembling and said nothing. 

"Let's finish lunch," Fox whispered, that sultry tone back in his voice. "And then we'll go home, and I'll show you how much." 

Not expecting any real response, Fox was caught by surprise when Alex threaded the fingers of one hand through his hair and pulled him in for a deep kiss. His half-erect cock went completely stiff, and when the younger man's tongue began to caress the inside of his mouth, it started to throb. 

Reluctantly, he pulled away from his lover's mouth and looked into eyes glowing with a hunger that had nothing at all to do with food. 

"We don't have to finish lunch," he whispered, brushing his lips against the others. 

Alex shook his head and removed his hand from Fox's hair. He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket for his wallet while Fox summoned the waitress, and less than ten minutes later, they were on their way home. 

Alex sat quietly in the passenger's seat while Fox drove. Unable to keep his hands still, he gently stroked his lover's hair, his chest and arm, his flexing thigh. He watched a serene smile appear on the older man's face, and his heart raced. 

"You're beautiful," he whispered, his fingers massaging Fox's leg. "Where'd that come from?" 

"Nowhere, it's just...I'm looking at you, thinking how beautiful you are." 

"Love really is blind." 

"My vision is twenty-twenty." 

"Haven't we had this discussion before?" 

"Yeah, and I was right then, too." 

Fox glanced over to the other side, meeting a serious, dark gaze. 

"Okay, if you say so." 

Inching over in Fox's direction, Alex pressed a soft kiss into the side of his neck. 

"I do." 

Alex spent the rest of the ride kissing and stroking Fox as the older man moaned and whimpered and tried desperately to keep his attention focused on getting them home alive. 

Once they reached Hegal Place, the pair walked hand in hand into the building, and Fox rang for the elevator. As he leaned back against the wall, Alex stepped in front of him. 

Now eye to eye, Alex skimmed Fox's cheekbone with two knuckles. 

"My beautiful Fox." 

//Mine. My Fox.// 

Christ, it felt so good to say that. And right now...right here, it was true. 

Golden-brown eyelashes swept downward, and Fox closed his fingers in his lover's jacket, pulling him forward. Their bodies touched, Alex's weight pressing into him, and he lay his head against the leather-clad shoulder. As Alex wrapped his arms around the other man and dropped a soft kiss into his hair, the elevator door opened. At that exact moment, the outside door opened as well, and an all too familiar voice called out. 

"Mulder..." 

Fox lifted his head abruptly and glared at the woman, who was now quickly approaching them. 

" _What_?" 

"You don't need to sound so irritated, Mulder. I just came to see how you were doing. After Skinner suspended you, you blew out of the office without saying a whole lot." 

"There was nothing else to say." 

Scully glanced quickly at the man her partner refused to let go of, noting how he kept his gaze averted and his head down. 

"It's got to be bugging you, Mulder." She looked back to Fox. "It's bugging me." 

Fox wrapped his arms around Alex, pulling the younger man as tightly to him as he could. 

"I'm sure it is." 

"I'm upset for you, Mulder. I'd really hoped Skinner wouldn't be so tough on you." 

"He wasn't as hard as he could've been, and you know it." 

"Still..." 

"Look. Scully. Forget about your disappointment, guilt, whatever you want to call it, and go back to work." He took Alex's hand and pressed the button to reopen the elevator door. "Now, take this any way you want, but I don't want to see or hear from you until I go back in three weeks." 

Leaving his partner staring in silence, Fox stepped into the elevator, pulling Alex in after him. 

As the door began to close, Alex looked up and caught the hateful glare Scully cast at him. Inching closer to the older man's warmth, he held her gaze until the door shut completely, then lowered his head. "Like a bad penny, isn't she?" 

Alex lifted his head, giving Fox a quick glance then looked away. 

"Try not to let her get to you," Fox murmured, pressing a kiss to the other man's jaw. 

"She's just...she's a reminder, you know? The way she looks at me. She doesn't have to say anything. The accusation...the contempt is there all over her face." 

"That's not what you see when you look at me," Fox countered softly. "And whose opinion of you means more?" 

Alex slumped into his lover's arms, trying to close his mind to the thoughts Scully's appearance brought forth. 

"Yours." 

The door opened, and the two stepped out, walking down the fourth floor hall to apartment forty-two. Fox unlocked the door and stepped inside, quietly followed by Alex, who shut the door behind him. He trailed the older man into the living room and stopped when Fox turned around and leaned against the front of his desk. 

"C'mere." 

Alex obeyed the soft command, drifting forward as Fox removed his jacket. The other man spread his legs, pulling Alex between them, and his hands wandered up under the leather jacket. "Where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?" 

Alex's tongue flicked over his lower lip, and he dropped his gaze to the point where their chests met. 

"Alex." 

Sable lashes fluttered then dropped over Alex's eyes as Fox's breath whispered over his cheek, and the other man's tongue slithered over the smooth skin. 

"Please..." 

The soft, needy moan re-ignited the younger man's simmering desire. He shrugged out of his jacket, letting it drop to the floor, and then he clamped his arms around Fox, pulling his lover in for a hungry kiss. 

Fox whimpered into Alex's mouth, clinging tightly to his shirt as the other man slowly regained his composure and took control. 

Unwilling to release Fox's mouth, Alex began to remove his shirt, going as far as he could before he had no choice but to break the kiss. The shirt landed with a soft thud on the computer monitor, and they were kissing again as Alex's hands wandered the expanse of Fox's back. 

At length they moved lower, rounding the top curve of Fox's backside, and then... 

Shit. Desk. 

Fox grunted softly, losing then quickly regaining contact with Alex's mouth as the younger man stepped backward and jerked him back into his arms. The hand that had again found its way to his ass, stroked and massaged the taut muscles, holding him still as Alex pressed against him. 

Through two layers of denim Alex felt the heat between them. And the hardness. 

Rock hard. Pulsing. Insisting on release. 

One hand moved between them, brushing the bulge in Fox's jeans and in his own, then Alex undid the other man's top button and began working the zipper down. His fingers skimmed the cotton-covered erection briefly, then undid his own jeans. 

Writhing against his lover, Fox reached into the back of Alex's jeans, slipping in past his underwear, and caressed his rear. Over and over his palms glided over the smooth skin until Alex broke from his lips and backed toward the bedroom, pulling him along. 

As soon as they reached their destination, Alex pulled his own shirt off, and Fox was there, hands and mouth moving reverently over his bared flesh. He wanted to touch the older man...give back, but somewhere inside he knew that in just standing there, responding to Fox's loving attention, he _was_ giving back. 

A soft warmth touched one nipple, dancing over the very tip, leaving him shuddering, and when it slithered away, he fought the urge to pull Fox's head back and demand that he continue. 

But Fox had no intention of moving on so quickly. 

Moving a few inches to the left, he pulled the other nipple into his mouth, sucking lightly as his tongue lashed over the sensitive tip. And all at once Alex wished that he had moved on quickly. 

The younger man's cock pounded against his underwear, begging to be buried to the root in his lover's slick heat. He ached to have that lush, sweet mouth on his, and his hands squeezing that tight ass, stroking that magnificent cock. He longed to hear Fox's voice, thick and crackling with desire, whimpering and sobbing for more as he fucked him into oblivion... 

Panting, pleading, sweat-soaked Fox was a beautiful, beautiful thing. Too fucking gorgeous for words...too amazing for Alex to believe that he was his. But he was. He was, dammit, and he always would be. 

He had to be. Fox had told him so. Swore it, and Alex would believe. Fuck Scully. Let her do her worst. Fox knew who he was, and he loved him anyway. Nothing would come between them. Not Scully. Not Skinner. Not his past. Nothing. 

Cool air replaced the warmth of Fox's mouth, and Alex shook himself back to semi-consciousness. Dazedly, he watched the other man move away from him and over to the side of the bed. He heard the opening and closing of a drawer, then Fox came back, initiating one more teasing kiss before he removed the rest of Alex's clothing then tore open the small package in his hand. 

Removing the condom from the foil packet, Fox placed it over the head of Alex's cock then broke the kiss and sank to his knees. 

Alex's breath left him in a rush as, using only his mouth, Fox rolled the rubber on the rest of the way. 

"Ohhh, my God..." 

Blindly, he reached down, threading his fingers through Fox's hair and closing them in the golden brown strands. As gently as he could, he pulled, bringing the other man to his feet. 

Sparkling, gilded eyes met stormy green, and Fox backed Alex to the bed. He eased the younger man down onto the mattress, positioning him against the pillows then stood beside the bed, pulling off the rest of his own clothes. The minute the last bit of clothing hit the floor, Alex reached out shackling Fox's wrist and pulled him forward. He brought his lover to a kneeling position, straddling his thighs, then leaned his head back against the pillows and looked up into passion-glazed eyes. 

"Touch me, Fox, or I'm gonna go crazy." 

Trembling fingers slid over Alex's shoulders and down his chest, brushing painfully tight nipples, and when the younger man released a soft, drawn-out gasp, Fox lightly pinched both, turning the gasp to a soft whine. 

Forcing his eyes to stay open, Alex kept them trained on the older man's face, finding a mix of deep love and need reflecting in the beautiful, green-gold gaze. His own eyes mirrored the emotion as his hands rose to his lover's chest, stroking gently. 

"I may go crazy anyway," he whispered roughly, letting his hands slide down over Fox's hips and thighs, and brush the length of his flushed cock, "if I don't feel myself deep inside your ass very soon." 

Fox emitted a hard gasp and wiggled back against Alex's sheathed cock. 

"You want that, don't you baby?" Alex cooed as he raised his hips. "You'd like a good, hard ride." 

Unable to do much more than whimper, Fox nodded. 

"Come on, then." He pushed again. "Come on, beautiful, don't make me wait." 

Fox reached down beside Alex and picked up the tube he had put there when he'd taken the condom from the nightstand drawer. He unscrewed the cap and squeezed an adequate amount of gel onto his fingers then gingerly applied it to Alex's cock. 

Wickedly thick, sable eyelashes fluttered in response then rose, and eyes black with lust seared Fox with their heat. 

"Up." 

Fox lifted himself far enough to allow Alex to grip his own cock at the base to hold it steady, and he sank back down. Fraction by fraction he opened up, surrendering himself to his lover's possession, and when Alex grasped his hips and forced him down, his teeth clamped together, and a harsh grunt escaped past them. 

"No teasing," Alex hissed, clenching his fingers in the muscles of Fox's ass as he pulled the older man up then slammed him back down. 

Fox's mouth fell open, and he cried out, permitting himself to feel every last bit of the pain-laced pleasure that his lover delivered. And in that same moment, with that same passionate reaction, he reminded Alex of the vow he had made to him at the restaurant. 

Alex gritted his teeth and repeated the action, this time thrusting upward as he pulled Fox down, drawing another sob from the older man, and Fox simply submitted to it. No struggle, no protest. 

His. 

Fox Mulder, exclusive property of Alex Krycek. His, and his alone. Forever and ever, world without end... 

A-fucking-men. 

//And so, what? You're going to abuse him just to validate that fact?// 

What abuse? Every bit of Fox wanted to be branded. That fact couldn't have been more clear. With every twitch, every obscene contortion, his body screamed that need. 

//Scream. Yeah, make him scream. It's what he wants.// 

"Come on, baby...my kracivaia suka..." Alex clutched at Fox's ass, spreading the smooth cheeks as he thrust upward again. Dual cries of pleasure blended, and in a matter of seconds, Fox was thrashing against him as he bucked violently into the older man. 

"God...Je...sus...," Fox gasped, caught up in the fury of combined passion, and when Alex reached down between them and took his agonized cock in his hand and began to milk it at the same frenzied pace, his world exploded into a million shards of light. 

" _Show_ me," Alex growled, taking Fox closer and closer to total devastation. "Scream for me, baby. Just...just me." 

A few more thrusts. A few more strokes, and Fox detonated, shaking the windows as he came. Alex followed seconds later, drowning out Fox's dying sobs, and then the older man collapsed into his arms, sheer exhaustion severely hampering his abilitly to speak or move. 

Slowly, Alex raised a hand and wearily petted his lover's hair. 

"You okay?" he whispered into Fox's ear. 

"....Hmmm." 

"Fox?" Alex lifted his head but could see nothing of the other man's face. Gently, he pulled out of his lover's relaxed body and discarded his condom. "Fox?" 

With great effort, the golden-brown head lifted, and cloudy, green-gray eyes blinked down at the younger man. A soft, satisfied smile touched the flushed lips, and Fox again nestled into Alex's warmth. 

"M'fine. Just cold." 

Alex wrapped his arms around Fox, brushing tender kisses into his hair. 

"Better?" 

Fox shifted a bit then sighed deeply. 

"Mmm hmm." 

"I didn't hurt you?" 

"Hurt? Mmmm, yeah..." 

Alex tightened his arms around the older man. 

"I'm sorry, Fox. I..." 

"No," Fox moaned, kissing Alex's shoulder. "Don't be." 

"But I...you just...you make me crazy, you know?" 

"Don't expect me to apologize," Fox countered, speaking finally in full sentences. "I love it when you get crazy." 

Alex released a short, breathy burst of laughter and hugged Fox tightly. 

"I love you, vozliublennii." 

"Who?" 

Another flurry of kisses. 

"Sweetheart." 

"Oh." Alex could hear the smile in Fox's voice. "What was that other thing you said before?" 

//What other....ah, shit, shit.// 

The younger man inhaled deeply. "It uh...was just...it was nothing. One of those heat of the moment things." 

"But it meant something. I mean, it wasn't just gibberish, right?" 

"No..." "So, what'd you say?" 

"Fox, I don't...I was so turned on...people say all kinds of things when they're hot..." 

The older man lifted his head and smiled down at his lover. 

"All you're succeeding in doing is making me very curious. C'mon, what was it?" 

Alex averted his gaze. 

Fox kissed the faintly stubbled chin. "Is it that embarrassing?" 

"It's just...the same has been said to me, and it made my skin crawl. I don't know why I said it. Just...like I said, the heat of the moment, I guess." 

Fox brought Alex's attention back to his face. 

"Tell me." 

The soft, loving tone lulled Alex into believing it'd be all right. 

"I call...called you my..." 

The older man gave his lover a reassuring smile. 

"Your what?" 

".....Pretty...bitch." 

Fox closed his eyes and said nothing. 

"I love you, Fox," Alex began, regret seeping into his tone. "I don't know why I..." 

"I know that," the other man whispered finally and opened his eyes. "Anything we do to each other...anything we say to each other...it's not the same as with those men. Don't think that it is." 

"But I can't help thinking about them," Alex murmured. "I don't want to treat you like a..." He swallowed hard. ...The way they treated me." 

"You couldn't do that. There's such a huge difference, Alex. We love each other. You don't have to apologize or feel bad." A devilish smile lit Fox's face. "I actually got a bit of a buzz." 

Alex cocked his head in question. 

Fox lowered his head, brushing the younger man's mouth with his own. "It turned me on." 

Eyes filled with uncertainty stared up at him. 

"Really?" 

"Yeah," Fox croaked, dragging his tongue across Alex's lower lip. "I love your dominant side. Remember that night at the cabin?" 

A tiny smile curved Alex's lips. 

"Yeah." 

"You were unbelievable that night, Alex. You were strong and confident and..." Fox grinned, nipping at the younger man's chin. "...wild. I saw my life flash before my eyes." 

The smile faded and Alex looked away. 

"Hey, where'd the smile go?" Fox asked, tapping the bridge of his lover's nose with a knuckle. "You got your very own luuuuv slave. How many people can claim that?" 

No response. 

"C'mon, babe." Fox kissed the younger man's unresponsive lips. "What's the matter?" 

//If he asked me what isn't the matter, it'd be a lot shorter list.// 

//Don't you start. He's happy. Don't you dare fucking screw it up with your bullshit.// 

"Nothing. I...I just...I can't believe my luck." 

Fox felt the tremble in Alex's fingers as the younger man raised his hand to his cheek. 

"You're not the only one, you know." He covered Alex's hand with his own then drew it to his mouth, where he deposited a tender kiss in the palm. 

Alex managed a half smile and said nothing. 

"I know you don't believe that," Fox murmured, lowering his head to Alex's shoulder. "Not right now, anyway, but I promise baby, I won't give up until you do." 

Alex lay quietly, petting the golden-brown head beneath his chin, and he cursed himself to hell and back. 

//You shit. Goddamn fucking pussy. Make up your mind. You believe, you don't believe. You do everything you can to keep him happy, you brood and make him worry. Pick a freakin' program and stick with it, would you?// 

Fox's breath left him as he was suddenly spun onto the mattress and pinned beneath the younger man's weight. Before he could speak, Alex's lips came down on his, claiming a deep but tender kiss. His arms slid up and around the younger man's neck as the interior of his mouth was gently probed, and the faint stirrings of arousal whispered through his body. 

Alex released Fox's mouth but kept within just a few centimeters of contact. 

"I didn't know it was possible to want someone this much," he breathed, brushing the older man's cheek with his thumb. 

"I know," Fox answered, writhing against his lover. "I can't believe you can make me hot again so soon after..." 

"No, I..." Alex interrupted, "...that isn't exactly what I meant." 

Fox stopped squirming and looked up into eyes of sincerest green. 

"You know I w-want you that way. God, I can't get enough, but...I m-meant that I want all of you. From that first day in your hotel room... _before_ that. I..." 

"You have all of me," Fox assured the younger man. "Always." 

Silence filled the room as the two lost themselves in each other's gaze, then Alex lowered his head, taking another kiss, and another, and still another until passion swelled again, and the quiet gave way to waves of frenzied sound. 

And then the quiet again. 

Soft, satisfied quiet, filled with loving touches and unspoken pledges of faith and promises of forever after. 

Three weeks later 

A shadow fell across the open doorway of the basement office, and Walt Skinner stood watching the obviously agitated redhead pace the length of the room. 

"Not here yet, I take it." 

Scully stopped abruptly and turned to face in the direction of the soft voice. "Sorry, I didn't see you there. No, he isn't here." 

Skinner looked down at his watch. "He isn't late yet. I guess we're both pretty early." 

"There was a time when I could never beat him in to work." She turned and stared at the poster on the wall behind her partner's desk. "Maybe he's not coming back." 

"He would have given notice." 

"Not so sure about that. Krycek has got him so twisted, he sees me as the enemy." 

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, you and I are pretty much in the same boat." Skinner folded his arms over his chest and leaned against the door frame. "But I meant that he hasn't called me and given notice. I'm sure he'll be here." 

Scully nodded her acknowledgment. "I wonder how much more hostile he's going to be." "What makes you think he'll be hostile?" 

"Three weeks with no one but Krycek?" she asked sharply. 

"You haven't seen him at all since he left three weeks ago?" 

"I tried to see him the same day you suspended him. Went to his apartment. I had just walked into the building and found him and Krycek getting cozy by the elevator. He was angry with me. He didn't care why I was there, he just said he didn't want to see me until it was time for him to come back." 

Brown eyes left the woman's face and dropped their gaze to the floor. 

"I see. Well, in any case, if Agent Mulder is returning, I'm sure he's found a way to maintain his professionalism." Skinner backed up a step. "I'll see you both later on." 

He departed as quietly as he had come, leaving Scully alone once more. 

"Professionalism," she whispered, picking up a folder and tossing it back onto her desk. "Very politically correct way of saying he's frozen me out of his life." 

* * *

"...And you promise not to antagonize her?" 

Fox rolled his eyes as Alex helped him on with his jacket and straightened his tie. 

"I promise not to bite unless she pokes me with a stick or something." 

Fox wound his arms around the younger man's waist and pulled him in close. 

"I can't believe how fast these three weeks have gone by." He tilted his head and nuzzled the other's jaw. "I'm going to miss not being with you all day." 

"I know." Alex wrapped his arms around his lover's neck, enjoying the closeness for a bit longer before he had to let him go. "I'm not going to know what to do with myself all day." 

Fox pulled away and cast an apologetic stare on the younger man. 

"I didn't even think about that. I'm sorry, Alex, I...what are you going to do?" 

The other shrugged and smiled. "Besides miss you? I'll find something to keep myself busy." 

"Damn. All of a sudden I feel like shit. I go and drag you back here, and I don't even think about what it is you're going to do while I'm at work all day." 

"Don't worry about me, babe. I'll be fine." 

"But you can't just hang around all day, every day. You'll be bored out of your mind." 

Alex dropped a kiss on the older man's shoulder then the side of his neck. 

"We can talk about it when you get home later, okay? You're going to be late." 

"All right. Hey, speaking of later, what d'you want to do for dinner?" 

"Fox." 

"What?" 

"You're stalling." 

"No, I'm not." 

"Yes, you are." 

"Uh uh." 

Alex gently pushed the older man away and turned him in the direction of the door. 

"Get out." "You're throwing me out?" 

"Yep. Go to work. Do what you have to do, behave yourself..." He led Fox to the door then spun him around and pulled him forward. "...then come home to me." 

Rubbing against the hardening length of his lover's body, Fox purred into his ear, "Why don't I just stay home with you?" 

"Fox..." 

"Okay, okay." 

Pouting, Fox opened the door and trudged into the hall. 

"Bye," he mumbled, assuming a posture meant to induce guilt, and began to move away from the door. "What, no kiss?" 

Fox backed up and stood before the smirking man. Eyes lowered to the floor, he leaned forward and dropped a kiss on the corner of Alex's mouth then began to turn again to leave. 

Alex's finger's clamped around the older man's wrist and held him in place while he stepped in front of him. "What kind of kiss was that?" 

Still sulking, Fox remained silent. 

"You gonna pout all day? 'Cause I gotta tell ya, I don't think Scully's gonna find it half as irresistible as I do." 

He waited for a response, and when none came forth, he pulled the other man into his arms and laid a long, tender kiss on his mouth. Moaning softly, he pulled away, putting a few inches distance between them. 

"Go to work," he whispered, "and when you come home, I'll have a nice dinner waiting for you. And after that, a warm bath...maybe a massage..." 

A smile replaced the pout, and Fox kissed the younger man once more. 

"You're too good to me." 

The smile faded from Alex's lips. 

"I could never be too good to you." He forced another half smile. "Now, go on." 

Alex watched Fox turn and walk down the hall, wishing with all his heart that he didn't have to send him off to that harpy who had the nerve to call herself his best friend. 

The last few weeks had been important in helping Alex to feel the security that Fox had worked so hard to promote. He went to sleep every night and woke every morning wrapped in love, and every day together bound them more tightly to each other. And he believed more than he ever had, that nothing could separate them. 

Even so, this morning he couldn't help feel that familiar twinge of uncertainty as the thought of having to deal with Scully again became reality. 

//Don't worry about it. There's nothing she can do to you, and there's nothing she can say to Fox to turn him away from you. You know that.// 

He stood chewing on his lower lip, staring at nothing. 

//You know that.// 

Shutting the door quietly, he set about beginning the work he had planned for the day. 

* * *

Cerulean eyes watched warily as the office door opened and Fox stepped inside. 

"Good morning." 

"Morning." 

"Good to have you back." 

No answer. 

"So," Scully breathed lightly. "Enjoy your time off?" 

"I did, yes. It was very good for Alex and me." 

Scully paused, gathering her cool. When she thought she could speak without showing the emotion that had so easily flared in her at the mention of Alex's name, she cleared her throat and looked up at her partner. 

"He all settled?" 

"Yeah." 

"You get him tested?" 

His back turned to the woman, Fox dropped his arms to his side and tipped his face up to the ceiling. 

"What is he, Scully, a dog with rabies?" 

"No, I...I didn't mean..." 

Fox spun around, fixing a hard glare on his partner. 

"Yeah, Scully, you meant." His eyes glittered an angry amber. "It just comes that naturally to you." 

"I'm sorry," she whispered, searching for a way to smooth things over. "Mulder, you have to know that my concern for your safety takes precedence above all else. If I'm less than diplomatic in my approach..." 

"Your approach, Scully, is like that of an oncoming train." 

"I said I was sorry," the redhead responded softly. When Fox gave no response, she shifted uneasily in her chair. "But uh... _did_ Krycek get tested?" 

"He'll do it in a couple of months," Fox surprised Scully by answering. "There's no point right now." 

"No," she murmured. "No, I suppose there isn't, is there? Please be careful, Mulder, okay? Please protect yourself." 

"I do," Fox answered flatly, then added, "and Alex protects me. He goes overboard making sure that I'm safe." 

Scully nodded. "S-so what's he going to do?" 

"About what?" 

"I just mean in general. You're back to work. I don't see Krycek contenting himself with playing the happy homemaker for any length of time." 

"I don't know. It's something we have to discuss. But he can do anything he wants to do." 

Fox's eyes narrowed as he watched his partner swallow her next words. 

"What?" 

"Hmm?" 

"You wanted to say something." 

"No, I..." 

"It was all over your face, Scully. You had to fight the words back." 

"If that's what you think, then why do you want to hear it?" 

"...I don't know. I guess I can't help hoping that something I say...some answer I give will make you see him differently." 

Scully lowered her head. 

"I was just going to ask if you'd be bankrolling anything he might decide to pursue." 

Fox shook his head, giving the woman a caustic smile. 

"You need to get over this notion that I'm his sugar daddy, Scully. Alex does not need my money." "Made a good living on his back, did he?" 

"God _damn_ it, Scully!" Fox pounded on his desk, startling the woman. "You can't stop, can you?" 

"What'd I say? That is how he made whatever money he's got, isn't it? " 

Fox shook his head, even as his body shook with restrained rage. 

"I can't do this. I can't...I can't work with you. I'd appreciate it if you put in for a transfer. Immediately." 

"Mulder..." Scully stopped, gathering herself together, then started again. 

"Mulder, I...I'm s..." 

"Don't say it. I've heard enough. You're not sorry." 

"I am, Mulder, I swear. I can't help...I tell you what. No more mention of Krycek, okay? I won't ask you any questions, I won't make another comment. I'll pretend none of this exists, okay? Work. That's all we'll discuss." 

"You can't do it. It's impossible." 

"No it isn't. I promise. If I say one more word against Krycek, I'll transfer." 

Scully waited hopefully while Fox considered her offer. 

Moving slowly to his chair, Fox seated himself then looked down at his desk. Long minutes later, he took a deep, even breath and spoke. 

"I hate this rift between us. I want you to know that. We've been the best of friends for years, and now...it's impossible for our friendship to continue, Scully, if you insist on beating Alex down every chance you get. I won't stand for it. He's first in my life, and if you can't or won't accept that, we're done. Completely. No friendship. No nothing." 

"I understand." 

"Do you really? Because this is it. No more chances." 

"I've got it, Mulder. Believe me, I've got it." 

"All right." Fox removed his jacket and tipped his chair back. "Why don't you bring me up to speed on whatever's been happening around here..." 

* * *

"Good God, when was the last time he washed these windows?" 

Alex wrung the gray water into the bucket and began to again scrub at the glass behind Fox's desk. When he could clearly see down into the street, he grabbed the bottle of Windex and began to spray. 

When Fox got home, he'd probably walk back out and check the numbers on the door to make sure he was in the right place. 

Alex had started cleaning in the kitchen this morning after his lover had left. It had taken him almost three hours, but he was quite satisfied with the results. Everything from the countertops to the utensils now sparkled. Fox would be shocked, no doubt. 

After a quick break, he started in on the dining area, and had since moved to the living room. 

Newspapers from nineteen ninety-one, case files that were old enough to vote, and a trash barrel that he truly wondered if Fox had ever seen the bottom of were but a few of the treasures waiting for him as he started in on the other man's work area. 

Afraid to throw any of it away, he carefully stacked the items in a box and stored them out of sight, then set about washing and waxing the furniture and floor. That done, he took the blinds down, washed those, and then began on the window. 

As the clear blue cleanser made its way down the pane, a knock sounded at the door, and a feeling of dread washed over Alex. 

"Shit. Who the hell's this?" 

He picked his way to the door and looked the peephole. 

"Oh, are you kidding me?" 

//Don't answer it.// 

//Okay, and he'll just come back another day. Get it over with.// 

Alex took two deep breaths and turned the knob. As the door swung open, a severe brown gaze fell on him. "What're you doing here?" 

"I'd like a few words with you." 

Not waiting for a response, Skinner brushed past the younger man and stepped into the apartment. 

"Funny you waited until Fox went back to work to have them." 

"He wouldn't let me within half a mile of you." Skinner spun around glaring at the other man. "What've you done to him?" 

Alex closed the door but didn't advance an inch. 

"I've been through this with Scully. Can't you just ask her for the transcripts of our conversations or something?" 

"I didn't come here to listen to your sarcasm, Krycek. I want to know what it is you want with Mulder." 

"I'm sorry, Skinner, but I don't see how my relationship with Fox is any of your business." 

"I consider Mulder a friend." 

" _Really_. A friend you suspended without pay." 

"That was work. I take my job very seriously." 

"Uh huh." 

Skinner stood in the middle of the living room, arms folded across his chest, and looked around. 

"What the hell is this?" he mumbled. 

"What the hell's what?" 

"You're playing Suzy Homemaker?" 

"I'm cleaning the apartment. You find something suspicious in that?" 

"Just hard to believe that someone with as colorful a past as yours has been domesticated." 

No answer. 

"And it's twice as hard to believe that you could possibly know the first thing about being in a committed relationship." 

Still nothing. 

"Why are you doing this, Krycek? Why are you trying to destroy Mulder?" 

"I love Fox," Alex finally shot back. "I'd never do anything to hurt him." 

"You'll forgive me if I don't believe you." 

"I'd be shocked if you did." 

"You were selling your body, Krycek. Just when I thought you couldn't possibly get any lower..." 

"You know..." Alex opened the door and pushed himself away from the wall. "...whatever. Get out." 

"I'm not through with you." 

"Yeah, you are." 

"No..." Skinner walked over to the younger man, stared him in the eye, and slammed the door shut. "I'm not." 

Alex cocked his head, refusing to look away. 

"No?" 

"No." 

The word oozed out between gritted teeth, the heavy breath it was carried on, flowing over Alex's face. 

Inside he was cringing, knowing what that look meant. He'd seen it often enough, and Skinner, obviously, was no different than any other horny bastard he'd dealt with. But he refused to give his anxiety away. 

"What the fuck do you want, Skinner?" he hissed, displaying all the attitude he could muster. 

"It would be best for all concerned," Skinner rumbled, too close to Alex's face for comfort, "if you would just gather up whatever trash you brought with you and get the hell out of here." 

"Sorry Wally, but you've got it all wrong. It wouldn't be best for me..." 

"Oh, I'm crying." 

"...And it wouldn't be best for Fox." 

"I know Mulder doesn't think that right now. I know you've got him brainwashed into thinking you're exactly what he needs. But sooner or later he's going to snap out of it." 

"And you're going to help him?" 

"Whenever I can." 

"What about yourself?" 

"What the hell are you talking about?" 

"You didn't come here for the simple purpose of trying to run me out. Did you?" 

Skinner glared at the younger man, refusing to answer. 

"I know why you're here," Alex rasped. "I can see it all over your face." 

"You see nothing." 

"Why'd you do it, Skinner?" 

"Do what?" 

"You know what. The same thing you're thinking about doing right now. Only maybe this time with a lot less material between us." 

Alex watched the brown eyes go almost black, and the older man's expression change into something more ominous. 

"You're crazy." 

"Possibly. But I'm right." Hard, green eyes glared at the older man. "Tell me I'm not." 

"Get over yourself, Krycek. The whole world doesn't want your ass." 

"But you do. News flash, Wally. You'll never do to me again what you did that night. Much as you might want to." 

Skinner snorted. "What the hell would I want with a used up, filthy, low life whore?" 

"Only you can answer that question, Walt." Alex began to move away. "Get the fuck out." 

God, he was so arrogant. So... 

Alex felt a strong grip form around his throat and before he could react, he was spun around and thrown against the wall, pinned there by the irate larger man. 

"That's some ego you've got there, whore," Skinner ground into the younger man's ear. Maybe you need to be taken down a peg or two." 

"And how do you propose to do that?" Alex gasped through gritted teeth. 

"I can think of a couple of ways." 

Alex flinched as the older man pressed against his back. The hardness wedged between Skinner and his ass made him want to scream, but he held himself together, refusing to give the older man the satisfaction. 

"I'll fucking kill you." 

"That'd be a neat trick, given your position." 

"If I can't," Alex panted, "Fox will." 

"Your white knight? Very sweet." 

"Call it what you want. But doubting his reaction will prove hazardous to your health." 

Though he snorted at the younger man's declaration, he recalled his encounter with Mulder in his office. 

The hard expression. Eyes glittering with anger. Tone low and icy. Skinner had to truly wonder if Mulder might not really attempt to kill him or anyone else who fucked with this piece of filth he'd claimed as his. 

The grip relaxed, and Alex shoved hard away from the wall, almost stumbling in his effort to put distance between him and the other man. 

"I'll say it again, Skinner. Get out." 

"You really think you've got him, don't you?" 

Silence. 

"On the day he throws your sorry ass out of here, I'm going to be standing out there on the curb to watch you fall face down into the gutter." 

With that, the older man turned and walked out, leaving Alex in deafening silence. 

How long he stood there, he couldn't say. But when lack of oxygen finally made him take a breath, he shuddered with the exertion. After slowly letting the breath out, he turned and walked back to the window to complete his unfinished task. 

* * *

A thick, warm vapor filled the bathroom, coating the mirror and clinging to the fixtures to form tiny beads of moisture. The closed shower curtain silhouetted the form of the man behind it. 

Hands everywhere, moving slowly over the firm planes of the shadowed body. Head tilted back, turned up to the hard spray. 

Gorgeous. 

Fox advanced toward the tub and reached through the opening, letting one hand glide over the soapy flesh. 

The alarmed gasp knocked him back a step, and then he moved in again, studying the wide, almost frightened eyes as they blinked out at him. 

"S...I'm sorry, babe," he said by way of apology. "I didn't mean to scare you." 

Alex breathed a heavy sigh and extended a shaking hand to turn the water off. 

"I just didn't hear you. You surprised me." 

"Yeah, but...Jeez, Alex, you're...you look scared." 

"No. No, I..." Alex reached for the towel Fox held out to him. "...I'm okay." 

Under his lover's watchful eye, Alex dried off then moved into the bedroom to get dressed. 

Fox stood in the doorway, reading the younger man's posture and movement, not at all sure he liked what he saw. Something was up. The question was, what? 

//Okay, work around it.// 

"You've been busy today. I don't know how you managed it, but the place looks bigger. Not to mention brighter and a hell of a lot cleaner." 

"Yeah, I...don't worry, I didn't throw any of your stuff away. I didn't know what might have been important and what wasn't. I just put it all together in a box and stuck it in the closet. Maybe when you've got time you can go through it." 

"Sure." 

Alex finished dressing and approached the older man. Not looking directly into Fox's eyes, he forced a smile. 

"So. You made it through your day." 

"Yeah. Started off a little rough, but it straightened out...mostly." "Mostly?" 

"Yeah, well, Scully started as soon as I got there. I got that taken care of, things went okay for a while, then we met with Skinner a little later in the day." 

Alex's gaze dropped to the floor. 

Fox hesitated, studying his lover's reaction, then continued. 

"The temperature in his office probably dropped about twenty degrees when I walked in, and it got no better from there out. We squared off in opposite corners of the office and had a glaring contest while he said what he had to say, and then I left." Fox shrugged. "I guess it was probably me." Alex's eyes rose to focus on Fox's chest. "You?" 

"Yeah, I...I'm not upset about him suspending me. God knows he could've and probably should've done a lot worse. It's...I can't look at him now, Alex, without thinking about what he did to you. I know it was a long time ago. I know that nothing has happened since..." 

The younger man's gaze again dropped to the floor. 

"...But it meant something, you know? I mean, why would he do something like that to you?" 

"All it meant was that he thought I was more worthless than dirt, and he wanted to humiliate me." 

"There are lots more ways to humiliate a person. That he would choose to get sexual..." Fox shook his head and fell silent. 

"You have to work with him," Alex said softly. "Forget about it." 

"I can't." 

"Fox, it was a period in our lives where everybody despised me, including you. What would your reaction have been if you'd found out back then?" 

"I don't know that it would have been as indifferent as you might think it would. Maybe I wouldn't have felt the burning need to bash his head in, but..." 

"Okay, but still. It's...it's over. He's your boss. And no matter what he feels about me, he's your friend." 

A smile tilted Fox's lips upward. 

"This is a familiar conversation." 

"Well," Alex whispered, meaning so much more than Fox understood, "he and Scully are a lot alike. Now let's not rehash ancient history, okay? It's over and done with." 

"Okay, fine. Let's discuss another subject." Fox slid his hand under the younger man's chin and lifted. "Let's talk about why my touching your arm scared five years off your life, and why it is you can't seem to look me in the eye." 

Alex shook his head, trying for all the world to look unaware. 

"I don't know. I didn't hear you come in, and then all of a sudden there you were." 

"Mmm hmm. And has that got anything to do with the fact that you won't look at me?" 

"No. No, I..." Alex made himself look up into softly glowing, patient eyes. "I'm still just a little jumpy I guess." 

"...I see. I'm sorry baby, I really didn't mean to scare you." 

"I know." 

Fox slipped an arm around the other man's waist and led him out of the room. "So, what would you like for dinner?" 

"I was going to ask you that same question." 

Fox shrugged. "I don't know. You decide. Whatever it is, I'll cook it." He gave Alex a sheepish grin. "Or try to." 

"No," Alex argued as the two passed into the kitchen. "I'll take care of it." 

"Uh uh. I know it was no walk in the park, getting this place this clean. You must've busted your ass all day. "*I'll* cook." "So, what am I supposed to do?" 

Fox pulled Alex into a snug embrace and kissed the tip of the slightly upturned nose. 

"Go relax. Watch t.v. or something." 

"I can't help?" 

"Nope. Tell me what you want so I can get started." 

Alex smiled and rested his head on the older man's shoulder. 

"Surprise me. Just do me one favor, okay?" 

"Sure. What?" 

"Don't mess up my nice, clean kitchen." 

Fox laughed softly and swatted the other man's ass, then turned him around and gently shoved him toward the door. 

"Get the hell out of here so I can get to work." 

Once Alex had gone, Fox set about poking through the cupboards and refrigerator, gathering the items he'd need. All the while, his mind was working. Trying to decipher his lover's odd mood and the possible cause. 

//First he almost jumps out of his skin when I touch him. Okay, he didn't hear me come in, but God, he looked almost terrified. Then...I mention my meeting with Skinner, and he reacts to that. And tries to blow off my attempts to discuss what Skinner had done to him.// 

"Well, if somebody had done that to you years ago," he murmured, opening up a package of chicken, "would you want to review it again?" 

//He's right, though. You have to get over it. A hostile attitude is only going to make working with Skinner a whole lot more difficult. And God knows you've got enough problems without tangling with him at every turn.// 

It was going to be damn tough, though. Every time he thought about Skinner touching Alex...hurting and humiliating him... 

Alex sat up quickly, bolting off of the sofa as a loud banging sounded in the kitchen. He flew through the door just as Fox once again laid into the chicken breast on the counter. "What're you doing?" 

The older man spun around, metal meat tenderizer in hand. "I'm sorry, did I scare you again?" 

"You just startled me. Sounded like you were killing something in here." 

"No, just..." Fox held up the utensil. "...preparing the chicken." 

Sable eyebrows arched as Alex observed the older man's white-knuckled grip, and he nodded. 

"Okay..." 

"Go on. Go back and lie down. I won't make any more noise." 

Alex hesitated a moment then turned from the room, leaving Fox to compose himself and return his attention to dinner. 

//Come on, Mulder, snap out of it. It's in the past. Done. Never to be repeated. Now forget this shit and get the man's dinner done. He's spent the entire day doing battle with years worth of your dirt, and the least you can do is give him a nice meal and no anxiety.// 

An hour and a half later, Fox entered smiling into the living room and leaned over the sleeping man. 

"Alex," he whispered, gently nuzzling the younger man's cheek. "Wake up, baby." 

The dense sweep of sable lashes lifted, and deep green eyes looked up at the figure that loomed above. 

"Hmm?" 

"Dinner's ready." 

"Oh." Alex sat up rubbing at one eye. "Okay." 

"I actually think I did a good job." 

"Not really much of a cook, are you?" 

"Not really." Fox smirked down at the other. "So, if you hate it, be kind." 

"Smells good," Alex countered and rose to his feet. He walked into the dining area and gave Fox a sleepy smile. 

"Nice." 

Fox looked proudly at the set table. "Yeah? It's really okay? It isn't the Regent but..." 

"It's better," Alex argued softly, wrapping his arms around his lover's neck. "You did it yourself. For me." 

Fox gave in to the irresistible urge to kiss the smiling mouth, then he led Alex to the table and sat him down. Less than five minutes later, the food was on the table, and Fox was seated next to Alex, eyes glued on the younger man, waiting for him to take the first bite. He breathed a sigh of relief when he received a smile. 

"It's really good." 

"You're not just saying that? I know I told you to be kind, but..." 

"I'm not just saying it," Alex assured the older man. "It really is very good." 

Satisfied, Fox dug into his own food. Halfway into the meal, he looked around, shaking his head. 

"I still can't believe what you've done with this place. It's cleaner than when I first moved in." 

"I'm not done; still have the bathroom and bedroom to do, but I didn't want everything to be upside down when you got home. I'll get on it tomorrow." 

Fox stared at Alex for more than a few seconds, then reached for his lover's hand. 

"You know, I told you that this is not your responsibility. I don't expect you to..." 

"I know that." Alex gave the older man a grin. "But if I'm going to live here too, I'd like not to be tripping over stuff in the middle of the floor or be attacked by giant, killer dust bunnies." 

"They were big but harmless," Fox countered softly, kissing the back of Alex's hand. 

"Sorry, I didn't know they were friends of yours." 

"It's okay. I got a new friend. And he's much more uh...friendly." 

Laughing softly, Alex returned his attention to his meal. 

"So...when you've got the apartment the way you want it," Fox asked, "have you thought about what it is you want to do?" 

"I don't know," Alex answered, smoothing the hair at the back of his neck and looking past Fox. "I was thinking that...well, I think I sorta have a knack for investing. I mean, I did make quite a bit." 

"Yeah, you did," Fox cut in then dropped his head and began to laugh. 

"What's so funny? Alex asked, smiling at his lover's amusement. 

"Part of a conversation that I had with Scully this morning just came back to me. She thought you were...how do I say this? ...A kept man." 

Alex snorted softly. "Yeah, she would think that." 

Fox left his seat and promptly dropped down into Alex's lap. 

"As has become habit lately, she has no idea what the hell she's talking about. I could quit the Bureau and let you keep _me_." 

"I'd love to spoil you rotten," Alex murmured, kissing the line of Fox's jaw. But I don't think you'd really be happy being a man of leisure. Your job is a big part of your life." 

"Not nearly as big as it used to be, and getting smaller all the time." 

Alex studied the older man, reading the sincerity in his eyes. 

"Tell you what." He pulled Fox's head down to his shoulder and ran his hand lightly up and down his back. "How about we give it a year? That should be an adequate amount of time for you to really think about what it is you want to do. If you still want to quit, you can do it with no regrets. During that time I can keep investing, hopefully make us some more money, and we can live comfortably, anywhere we want." 

Fox lifted his head and looked into his lover's eyes. 

"A year, huh?" 

"It's not so long." 

"No." Fox hugged the younger man. "As long as we're together." 

Alex held his lover in a firm embrace, fighting to push away thoughts of those who sought to separate them. 

//Fuck 'em both. He loves me. They can't...there's nothing they can do.// 

He tightened his hold and buried his face in Fox's hair. 

//He loves me.// 

* * *

A harsh curse pierced the darkness as a blanket flew into the air and landed in a rumpled heap at the end of Water Skinner's bed. Repeatedly, Skinner shifted position but was unable to get comfortable. He flipped onto his back and kicked the sheet off, then peeled his t-shirt away. 

" _Jesus_." 

He didn't bother checking the temperature in the apartment; he knew the heat he felt had nothing to do with the thermostat setting. The source of his discomfort was miles away. Wrapped in th arms of the man Skinner claimed he was a friend to. 

Asleep. Perhaps. 

Or maybe... 

Christ, maybe awake. Writhing. Panting. Screaming his pleasure as Mulder fucked him. 

Oh yeah, he was loud, Skinner would bet the house on it. And every imagined yelp, every sob and moan reverberated in his body, maintaining the painful level of arousal he'd suffered for over an hour now. 

" _Why_? What the hell it is that makes him so fucking tempting?" 

It was an x-file. 

One that Mulder was investigating most meticulously, he was sure. 

//That's right, Walt. And while he's buried up to his nuts in that gorgeous bastard's ass, you're lying here with a raging hard-on, with nothing but your demented fantasies to keep you warm.// 

The desire to rip Krycek's clothes off and fuck him against that wall had burned so strongly today. As strongly as the flames of hatred, and he couldn't figure it out. How the hell could he despise the low life scum so intensely yet want to feel himself deeply entrenched in his ass? 

One hand slipped beneath his underwear and closed around his cock, and his eyes closed as he began to pump it's sturdy length. 

He saw it clearly. Krycek. Cuffed and lying face down on the floor where Skinner had thrown him. Clothing ripped and hanging by it's remaining threads from his body. Flashes of sweaty, bronzed skin, stretched over tensing muscles. That voice, ordinarily low and smoky, trembling with anxiety and pain, cursing and begging for Skinner to stop. 

But he wouldn't. And nothing could make him. 

//How d'you like it, bitch? Huh? Is that good?// 

In his mind, he slammed into the wailing man, inflicting blow after punishing blow. 

//This is all you deserve. It's all you're good for. Scream all you want, but you know you love it.// 

"Love it," Skinner grated as he furiously pumped his cock. " _Christ_. Oh, God, you know you want it..." 

The victim of his imagined assault screamed and twisted beneath him as he wedged his hand between the floor and Krycek's hips. Squeezing the younger man's cock, he laughed as the sounds of protest turned to strained mewls of pleasure. 

//Fucking slut. You don't love him. You don't love anybody. The only thing you love is a good fuck. You don't give a shit where you get it. Isn't that right? Isn't it?// 

The square jaw clenched and Skinner doubled his efforts as his climax approached. The participant in his illusion screamed wildly in concert with his own groans of completion, and the vision faded. 

Sticky and spent, he lay panting for a good long while before reality clamped down on him. 

" _Shit_!" 

He rolled out of bed and stomped into the bathroom where, with one violent twist of the shower knob, he activated a hard spray. He quickly stepped out of his damp underwear and under the water, washing the away the last remnants of his fantasy. But the disturbing contents endured, ingrained in his thoughts. 

"What the hell's the matter with you?" he whispered, bowing his head and letting the water flow over it. "Stop. Just stop." 

//You're more disciplined than this. You're smarter than this. He's nothing but trouble. It's bad enough he's got Mulder panting after him. Christ, one of you has got to stay sane.// 

Washing quickly, he turned the water off then dried himself and trudged back to bed. 

"Just stay away from him," he murmured, staring up at the ceiling. "Soon enough he'll be gone, and then you can forget about him again." 

//And in the meantime? What if it takes Mulder six months...a year to realize the mess he's in and do something about it? Jesus, he could be there all that time. And when Mulder goes out of town on a case? Temptation so well within your reach.// 

//Right. And you think he wouldn't find out? Shit, for that matter, how do you know Krycek hasn't told him about today?// 

//He hasn't. You'd have known about it by now, believe that.// 

"So," Skinner whispered on a soft breath. "He kept it to himself." 

He took a deep breath and drifted off to sleep, dreaming about future possibilities. 

* * *

The dream faded and wide, frightened eyes searched the darkness. The anxious man's chest heaved with the effort it took to stabilize his breathing, and before he could fully comprehend that none of what he'd experienced was real, an arm came around him and a soft voice sounded in his ear. 

"Alex. Wake up, baby." 

Alex drew in a deep, shaky breath and released it. 

"God." 

Fox raised himself up on one elbow and looked down into glittering, dark eyes. 

"You okay?" 

"Yeah. I uh...I'm all right." 

"Bad dream, huh?" 

Silent nod. 

Fox reached out and stroked Alex's hair away from his face. "Wanna tell me about it?" 

Alex hesitated, looking for a moment like he might possibly want to discuss it, but in the end, he simply turned into Fox's chest, seeking the comfort he needed. 

Enfolding Alex in the warmth of his arms, Fox kissed the sable head and lay quietly for a while, gathering his thoughts. Minutes later, he tilted the younger man's head up and planted a tender kiss on his lips. 

"You know that if and when you ever want to talk about it, I'm here to listen." 

"It's nothing," Alex whispered. "Everybody has nightmares once in a while." 

"I know that. And the best thing to do is talk about them. So, if you decide you want to, tell me, okay?" 

//Yeah, I'll tell you that I'm dreaming about being the filling in a Skinner/Scully sandwich.// "Babe?" 

Alex wound his arms around the other man and buried his face in his chest. 

"Okay." 

Quiet descended on the room, and just as Fox had begun to believe that Alex was asleep, the younger man called his name. "Fox?" "Yeah?" 

Alex floundered for a moment, not sure whether or not he should ask. But need overcame uncertainty, and nuzzled the older man's chest. 

"I kn-know it's late..." 

Fox peered over Alex's head at the clock. Silently reading two-twelve, he again lowered his head to the pillow and waited for the younger man to complete his sentence. 

"But I...say no if you don't want to..." 

Fox needed to hear no more than that to know what Alex was asking of him. 

Alex's sigh was muffled by his lover's mouth, moving so sweetly over his, and as Fox shifted to lie on top of him, his concern that the other man was only doing this to patronize him, lessened considerably. The swiftly growing evidence of Fox's passion pressed into his hip and reinforced his own desire. 

"I could never say no to you," Fox whispered, letting his tongue dance across the younger man's lips. "I could never not want you." 

Alex's soft whimper was muffled further by Fox's mouth as it came down on his, and his arms twined around the older man's neck, seeking to pull him closer and insulate his chilled body. He was attempting to hide from whatever demons had tormented him while he'd slept, and Fox was his shield. 

"M'sorry," he whispered haltingly against his lover's mouth. "But I..." He arched against Fox, prompting a deep sigh from the other. "...I'm cold, Fox." 

"I know," Fox murmured, kissing Alex's cheek and jaw. "I can feel it. Don't worry baby, I'll warm you." 

Fox slithered out of his underwear then lifted himself to his knees watching Alex begin to shiver the moment he did. He pulled the younger man's boxer briefs off and, removing two condoms and lube from the nightstand drawer, he quickly sheathed Alex's cock and coaxed him onto this stomach. He rolled his own condom on, applied the lube then stretched out over the length of his lover's back. 

Alex moaned into the pillows as Fox's mouth teased the back of his neck and shoulders, and he instinctively pushed back against the hardness nestled against his ass. 

"I need you," he croaked, rocking his hips. "Please, Fox. Need it to be you." 

Golden-brown eyebrows drew down into a frown as Fox listened to his lover's cryptic plea. 

"It's me," he whispered into Alex's ear as he gripped his cock at the base and worked the head into the tight opening. "Just me." 

Alex's head lifted from the pillows, and a sharp gasp broke past his lips as Fox pushed inside him. He began to buck impatiently, but Fox's weight held him to the mattress. 

"Let me." 

The two-word command stilled Alex's movements, but he couldn't stifle the increasingly desperate whimpers as Fox completed their union. 

"Is this what you need, Alex?" he asked, withdrawing slowly then sinking back inside. 

Clutching tightly at the pillow beneath his head, Alex nodded. 

"Any time you need me, don't be afraid to ask. I'll always take care of you." Fox reached between Alex and the mattress and grasped the younger man's cock. "It was just a dream, sweetheart. It wasn't real." He began to slowly pump the rigid shaft. "But I am. And I love you." 

Alex gritted his teeth, forcing back a sob. 

God, to feel like this. That one man could singlehandedly, emotionally and physically fill him so completely. It was a miracle. 

And Fox, his angel. A singular phenomenon possessed of all that was good and beautiful, and by some inscrutable quirk of fate had showered it all upon him. And sheltered by that torrent of love, he could feel safe. Nothing could touch him. No one. 

But he couldn't stay forever within the sanctuary Fox provided at moments like this. And the vultures were right outside. Circling. Waiting for him to emerge as he would surely have to do... 

His cheek resting on the sable head, Fox moved in a steady rhythm, matching that of his hand. The now warm body beneath his rocked against him, and his lover sounded broken cries of desperation as they both moved toward release. 

"Almost there," Fox panted, bringing his mouth to Alex's ear. "God...oh, God, baby, it's...I'm..." 

Alex listened to the strained groan and knew that Fox was already at the point that he was fast approaching. 

"No...n-n..." His mouth fell open on a choking sob as Fox pumped his cock harder, and he exploded, filling the tip of his condom with warm fluid. His previously tense body slumped and, with the additonal burden of Fox's relaxed weight, he sank deeper into the mattress. 

Still buried inside of his lover, Fox lay still, temporarily robbed of breath. When he finally gained enough strength, he drew in a long gulp of air and released it. He lifted himself on weakened arms and, brushing the edge of Alex's ear with his lips, he began to rise. 

The second he no longer felt Fox's weight, Alex flipped over and looked up at the older man with wide eyes. 

With little more than a gesture of his hand, Fox asked the anxious man to be patient, and then he stripped off his condom. While he went quickly to the bathroom to get a damp cloth, Alex disposed of his own rubber and pulled the blanket up to his chin in an effort to replace the lost warmth of his lover. 

Fox returned in seconds, pulling Alex's covering back and gently washing him. He dropped the cloth down on the floor and slipped into bed beside the younger man. Pulling the blanket up around them, he drew Alex to his chest, holding him securely in the circle of his arms. "Better?" 

Alex nodded slowly then drew a shaky breath. 

"I'm sorry, Fox, I guess it's...it's just one of those nights." 

"Stop apologizing. You did exactly what I want you to do when you're not feeling right. You came to me. You depended on me to make it better." 

"You did...but I don't know if that's so good," Alex whispered into Fox's throat. "I want to do exactly what I warned you I would." "What's that?" 

"Hold on to you and never let go. I can't...God, Fox, I can't do this." 

"Yes, you can." 

"No, I...it won't be so appealing to you after a while. You'll come to resent such heavy demands on your attention." 

" _No_. The only demands on my attention I resent are those of my job. They keep me from you." 

"Fox, you're needed there." 

"I'm needed more here." 

Alex gave an adamant shake of his head. 

"I'll be all right. I'm not saying it won't be hard sometimes, but I've been through a lot of hard stuff, and I've done okay." 

"This is different. You're different." 

"You're right. I am different. And I guess I have to learn to be strong all over again, but still..." 

"And you will," Fox interrupted. "But rebuilding your strength takes time. And rest." Fox kissed the younger man's forehead. "Uninterrupted peace is extremely important in the healing process. I'm going to do everything I can to see to it that you get that." 

"I've had more peace in the last few weeks than I can ever remember having." 

"And you didn't start having trouble until I went back to work." 

"It's just going to take a little while for me to get used to not having you around holding my hand all the time." Alex looked up into his lover's face. "But I have to. For myself, and for you." 

"I know that." Fox kissed Alex's forehead. "I'm just asking you not to rush it. And to let me know what you need from me." He lifted the younger man's head to claim a tender kiss. "Like you did tonight." 

Alex nuzzled the older man's chin then tucked his head beneath it. 

"It really is late," he said softly. "You're going to be so tired tomorrow." 

"I'll be fine. I used to exist on a lot less sleep than this." Fox slowly stroked Alex's back and smiled as the younger man snuggled closer and sighed softly. "Go to sleep." He continued to caress his lover as he stared out into the dark room. "I won't let you go." 

Alex closed his eyes, knowing that for the remainder of tonight that was so. But morning was just a few hours away, and he'd have to put his money where his mouth was. He'd have to put all his uneasiness and need aside and convince Fox that he'd be fine. He'd have to walk him to the door, kiss him goodbye, and spend the day alone, without his lover's comforting presence. 

And that would leave him vulnerable to another visit from one or the other of Fox's so called friends. 

He'd have to find a way to handle it without dragging Fox into it. If he knew, all hell would break loose. And as much as he'd love to stick it to Skinner and that little redheaded bitch, he knew the truth would hurt Fox as much as it would anger him. 

//You can do it,// he thought to himself as he listened to Fox's respiration slow and deepen. //You've dealt with far more difficult situations in the past.// 

//Yeah, but you can't shoot, torch or blast your way out of this one. And it's a pretty good bet that they're not going away all that easily.// 

He kissed Fox's collarbone and let his hand glide up and down over one arm. 

//You gotta figure something out. Something quick and permanent.// 

//That brings us back to the killing thing.// 

//No. Shit. No, no. Come on, you're a smart boy. Something else. Think of something else.// 

The pitch darkness of the room slowly lightened, and Alex still lay awake. Now on his side with Fox pressed to his back, he watched a light drizzle begin to hit the window. 

//Gotta remember to make him take his umbrella.// 

The drizzle turned to an all out downpour, and the alarm clock began to buzz, and Alex wondered where the night had gone. The warm body behind him stirred as he shifted to shut the alarm off. 

"Jeez," a soft, sleep-roughened voice sounded. "Morning already?" 

Alex rubbed his head against his lover's shoulder. 

"Told you it'd come early." 

Fox moaned, pulling the younger more tightly against him. 

"It's raining." 

"Mmm hmm." 

"Don't wanna get up. Wanna stay here with you." 

"Sorry. You gotta go to work. We can spend the weekend in bed if you want to." 

"That's four days away." 

Fox pulled himself up on one arm and turned Alex onto his back. Gray eyes narrowed on the other man's face. 

"Did you sleep at all?" 

Alex gave his lover a weary smile. "Not really." 

"How come?" 

"Don't know. //Liar// It just never happened." 

Fox swept his palm over the other man's eyelids, urging them to close. 

"Stay in bed. Try and sleep." 

The sable lashes lifted, and Alex pulled himself up into a sitting position. 

"I'll come back and lie down after you leave. But we've got food this morning, and I'm going to make you breakfast." 

"I've been seeing to my own meals for years, Alex. I think I can manage a cup of coffee and some toast." 

"That's not a decent breakfast," Alex argued, pushing Fox's restraining hands away and getting out of bed. "Get in the shower, and I'll make you something." 

"Okay, fine." Reaching out to caress Alex's bare leg, Fox grinned up at him. "You taking requests?" "Sure. What d'you want?" 

Fox chuckled softly, letting his hand wander to the inside of his lover's thigh. 

"You. In the shower." 

Alex's only response was a smirk and an arch of the eyebrow. 

"Since you say you can't sleep, I thought maybe I could help tire you out." 

The younger man laughed softly. "Your generosity knows no bounds." 

Fox pushed the blanket away, revealing a rigid erection. 

"Neither does my libido." 

He rounded the bed, taking his lover by the hand and tried to tug him toward the door. 

Alex resisted for only as long as it took to grab some supplies from the nightstand, then he followed Fox out of the bedroom and into the bathroom. Almost half an hour later, clean and well satisfied, the two men entered the kitchen. Alex made a quick omelet, which Fox wolfed down, and then he sent the other man off to work with a promise that he would go back to bed. 

Meaning to keep his promise, Alex entered the bedroom dropped down amongst the rumpled blanket and pillows. He pulled his lover's pillow to his face, inhaling the lingering scent of him, and closed his eyes. Forty-five minutes and not a wink of sleep later, he rolled to his feet and began cleaning the bedroom. 

He started with the closet, and as he worked, his mind began to click; dreaming up possible solutions to his Scully/Skinner problems. Unfortunately, all of them ended up involving extreme violence. 

A wistful smile came to his face as he considered all the hideously painful ways in which he could do away with them. Then the smile faded. 

He might be able to get away with it with Skinner. He didn't believe that he and Fox were that close. But Scully...as pissed off as Fox was with her right now, Alex knew it would hurt him deeply if anything were to happen to the little read-headed troll. They'd spent more time together than an average married couple over the last several years, and Fox loved her. 

Alex snorted. 

Yet she apparently thought nothing of continuously provoking the shit out of him. She could consider attempting something she knew would infuriate and hurt him. 

Maybe he could kill her after all. 

//Stop that. It's not an option. For either of them. You're done with killing. Just like you're done with whoring. Think of another way. There's always another way.// 

//Maybe you're wracking your brains for nothing. Scully hasn't bothered you since you first got here, and Skinner did leave yesterday without finishing what he'd come to start.// 

"Maybe they'll leave us alone," he murmured, grimacing at what had to be a fifteen-year old Knicks t-shirt he'd just found in a box at the back of the closet. "God, does this man keep friggin' everything?" 

//You sure as shit had better hope so.// 

Alex sat back on his heels, holding the t-shirt in a loosened grip. He stared into the half-empty closet, chewing on his lower lip. 

//Jesus Christ, how many times are you going to do this? Don't. Be. Afraid. You haven't lived this long by being afraid. Confidence, goddamn it. Alex Krycek is a self-assured, arrogant son of a bitch, and nobody fucks with him. Fox Is yours. And you know that when it comes right down to it, you'll do anything you have to do to make sure no one takes him away from you.// 

Alex heaved a confident breath and returned to work. 

* * *

Scully nearly jumped out of her skin as her partner walked into the office. 

Quickly, she dropped the pen she'd been using and gathered up the few pages she'd had spread over her desk. 

"What's the matter with you?" Fox asked, opening up a file drawer. 

"N-nothing." 

"You looked like you were about to have a stroke when I walked in." 

"I was...I was just really wrapped in my work. You startled me, that's all." 

Hazel eyes studied the woman then returned to the drawer Fox was rifling through. "What're you working on?" 

"Just some stuff for a class at Quantico I'd done while you were...gone." 

Fox gave no response. He pulled a file out of the drawer and sat at his desk, quickly reading through it. 

"Here it is," he mumbled, flipping back and forth between one page and another. 

"Here what is?" 

"Remember a couple of years ago, we investigated a case out in Georgia...a tobacco field worker was found partially decomposed in the woods behind his house..." 

"...And he'd only been missing since the night before." 

"Right. Well, I just got wind of an identical incident. Also in Georgia. Three miles from the location of the original case." 

"I guess we're going to Georgia." 

Fox paused then closed the file and stared at the top of his desk. 

"Guess so." 

She knew he was thinking about Krycek. She could read it all over his face. 

//Oh, for pity's sake, Mulder. You gonna start going into withdrawal or something? Is he that addictive?// 

Her body answered. 

//Wouldn't you like to know.// 

//Yes. Yes, dammit, I would.// 

She shook the thoughts from her mind and cleared her throat. 

"When are we going?" 

"I'll see if I can get us a flight out in the morning." 

//Can't leave without one more fuck, can you Mulder?// 

I'll call you from home and let you know when." 

"From home?" 

"Yeah. I'm heading there now. There's nothing else going on here, so..." He picked up the file and his jacket. "I'm going to go review this and call the airline." 

Scully blinked in surprise, though she didn't know why she should be shocked. 

"Oh...okay. Well, you have a...a good night." 

"You too." 

Without another word, Fox left, and Scully fell back against her seat, emitting a loud sigh. Waiting a few minutes to make sure he didn't come back into the office for anything, she spread the sheets of paper she'd previously gathered up back onto the desk. Bringing her pen to her lips, she chewed at the tip and studied what she had written. 

"What're you doing home so early?" Alex blurted out, surprised as his lover entered the apartment. His eyebrows turned down into a frown as Fox hesitated to reply. 

"I uh...brought some stuff home with me. There was nothing else happening at work, so..." 

Fox walked up to the younger man and placed a soft kiss on his mouth. He pulled back, observing the tiny lines around Alex's eyes, and the shadows underneath. 

"You didn't sleep, did you?" 

"I tried," Alex explained. "I really did. But I couldn't." 

"So, what'd you do?" 

"Got up and cleaned the bedroom and the bathroom." 

Fox rolled his eyes. 

"I figured it'd help make me tired." 

"And are you?" 

Alex shrugged. "I might be able to nap." 

"Good, then I want you to go do that. But uh...but first I need to talk to you about something." 

"Okay..." 

Fox took Alex by the hand and led him over to the sofa. When they were both seated, he continued. 

"I gotta leave for a couple of days." 

"...Oh?" 

"Yeah, I uh...I gotta go to Georgia on a case." 

Alex nodded, struggling to remain nonchalant. 

"When?" 

"Tomorrow." 

Silence. 

"I'm sorry, babe. I'd hoped I wouldn't have to leave town so soon." 

"It's all right," Alex answered softly. "It's your job. No big surprise." 

"Doesn't mean you have to like it. I don't." 

Alex smiled and leaned in, kissing the older man. 

"It's only a couple of days. I won't even notice you're gone." 

"Oh no?" 

"Nope." 

Fox drew his lover into his arms, murmuring into the side of his neck. 

"Damn liar." 

"Okay, I might notice a little. You know, like when there's no wet towels on the edge of the tub and no jackets draped over the backs of chairs..." 

Fox gave the other man a blank stare. 

"I'm hurt." 

"Awww." 

"You'll be glad to get rid of me." 

"Nooo..." 

Fox nodded as he looked away. "Yes, you will. You prefer a clean house to me." 

Alex laughed softly and pulled the older man to him. 

"I was just kidding. You know I'll miss you." 

"Really?" 

The younger man smiled at the muffled query. 

"Yeah, really. I've gotten very used to having you next to me when I go to sleep." He put a few inches distance between them and coaxed Fox to look at him. "I love opening my eyes in the morning and seeing you there...hair all wild..." He smiled and ruffled the golden-brown strands. "Sleepy eyes...sexy, pouty mouth..." He leaned in and brushed a tender kiss over the other man's lips, and suddenly emotion overcame amusement. "My heart is so full, Fox...I wish I could tell you..." 

Fox tilted his head, reading the sincerity in the deep green gaze. Absorbing the change in Alex's mood, he raised his hand and traced the line of his love's jaw with the tips of his fingers. 

"You tell me every day. Every time you look at me. Every time you smile...touch me...it tells me everything I need to know." 

Alex gathered Fox to him, holding the older man in a bear hug. 

"I will miss you. But I'll be fine." 

"Are you sure?" Fox asked against his lover's shoulder. "You know, if you want to come with me..." 

//Hey, yeah.// 

"N-no. Babe, it's work. I have no place there. Besides, my presence would just antagonize Scully." 

"I don't care what Scully..." 

"I know. But I do. Being around her isn't the biggest thrill for me." 

One corner of Fox's mouth twitched into a grimace. 

"Sorry, didn't really think about that." 

"It'd be a disaster from start to finish." 

Fox blew out a long breath. 

"I hate the idea of being away from you." 

"That's my fault. I've made you feel like I'll break into a thousand pieces if you're not with me. I promise, Fox, I'll be okay. As long as I can hear your voice once a day, I'll live." 

"I'll call you every night." 

"Okay." 

After a brief silence, Alex began to chuckle softly, prompting Fox to pull out of his arms and cast him a curious look. 

"We sound like a couple of lovesick teenagers," he said by way of explanation then elaborated. "I had this friend in high school...Jerry Adams. He was so... _insane_ over some girl...I can't remember her name now. But he hung on her every word...fawned all over her. Carried her books, left little notes in her locker...made me sick. I used to tell him what a disgusting sap he was, and all he'd say was, 'wait till it happens to you. Then you'll understand.'" He looked at Fox and smiled softly. "I told him he was out of his mind if he thought I was ever going to be that stupid." 

The story prompted a grin from the older man. 

"Are you admitting that you are that stupid?" 

Alex kissed the older man then murmured against his mouth, "I'm saying that now I understand." 

"Oh," Fox whispered then pulled Alex in for another kiss. A soft moan rumbled in his throat as Alex's fingers threaded through his hair, holding his head still for a deeper kiss. 

Alex felt his lover's body relax and slump against him as Fox submitted, then seconds later, the older man stiffened and pulled away. 

"Wait a minute, wait a minute," Fox breathed, twisting his head to avoid Alex's demanding mouth. "You're supposed to be resting." 

"Who says?" Alex asked, letting one hand wander up and down the other man's back as he nibbled on the sensitive skin beneath his ear. 

"You haven't slept at all, Alex. You have to be exhausted." 

"Funny, I'm not nearly as tired now as I was," Alex croaked, moving lower on Fox's neck. 

"Yeah, but..." Fox's eyelashes drooped over darkening eyes. "Alex...m-mmm...c'mon, Alex..." 

"C'mon Alex, what?" the younger man asked, deftly unbuttoning his lover's shirt and flicking his tongue over a white cotton-covered nipple. 

"Cut it out," Fox breathed unconvincingly even as he arched against his lover's warm mouth. "Want you to go take a nap." 

"I will," Alex promised, lifting his head and pulling Fox's shirt out of his pants. The undershirt followed, and one hand wandered underneath, skimming the heated flesh. "In a couple of minutes." 

Fox uttered a quickly dying protest as Alex unzipped his pants then sat back and undid his own. He watched through his lashes, moaning hungrily as the younger man reached into his jeans and pulled the solid length of his cock out. Thoughts of the day when he could finally feel Alex's hot semen hitting the back of his throat made his whole body quiver. But that day was still several months away... 

"Jerk off with me, baby." 

Golden-brown lashes fluttered, and amber-speckled eyes focused on the younger man's face. "What?" 

Alex's hand began to glide over his own cock as he grasped Fox's wrist. 

"Jerk off with me." 

Fox let the younger man guide his hand down to his already stiff cock, and slowly, his fingers encircled the base. 

Alex watched for a moment, hunger blazing in his eyes, then he pitched forward and, yanking both of Fox's shirts off, attached his mouth to the nipple he'd been teasing earlier. As he lapped at the rigid peak, he heard a sharp gasp and felt his lover's hand stop moving. 

"No," he whispered, turning his gaze up to the other man's face. "Don't stop, Fox. I want you to come with me." He pulled hard on his own cock a couple of times for emphasis, and Fox grunted in response. 

Satisfied that Fox had again begun to stroke himself, Alex maneuvered him onto his back then, turning sideways so that they were face to face, sank to his knees on the floor. He lowered his head to Fox's chest, and his tongue began to lash at the other nipple. 

Fox's head dropped to the side, and he watched through a curtain of lashes as Alex expertly milked himself. 

God, it was so...at the moment erotic sounded like as good a word as any, but it was more than that. His heart and his body knew it instinctively, though his mind would never be able to come up with an adequate description. 

His back arched, and his mouth fell open on a harsh gasp as Alex sucked the nipple into his mouth, applying a moderate suction. The younger man's tongue continued to flick across the tip, tremendously increasing Fox's pleasure, and all at once, everything shut down, leaving only the ability to feel. 

And the sensations were remarkable. 

He'd jerked off before; hundreds of times, but it'd never felt this good. 

It was Alex. Obviously. He was barely even touching Fox, and yet he made all the difference. He probably could have been halfway across the room doing nothing but watching, and Fox would have still been this ridiculously turned on. 

He increased the speed of his hand, matching that of his lover, and he felt the familiar tingling heat begin. It spread slowly, skipping from nerve to nerve until each one vibrated with an intensity that made him tremble. He tried to keep his eyes open...to watch Alex's hand move faster and faster still. To see the younger man's face contort into an incredible mask of extreme pleasure even as he continued to torment the constricted nub in his mouth. But release was crashing toward him at an unstoppable pace, and control was lost in an instant. 

Choked cries broke the air, and for a number of seconds, each man was lost, drowning in twin oceans of bliss. 

Fox was first to make it back, grimacing slightly at the stickiness that coated his hand and stomach. A smile soon replaced it as he looked down at the sable head resting on his chest. 

Eyes still closed, perfectly bowed mouth scrunched into a relaxed put, Alex looked as though he was well on his way to sleep. 

"Babe," Fox called, running the fingers of his dry hand through his lover's hair. "C'mon, don't go to sleep like this; you're going to cramp up, and your kness are gonna hurt like hell." 

Alex's lashes lifted halfway and he moaned softly in response. 

"I know you're tired," Fox whispered, still petting the dark head. "Get up, and I'll put you to bed." 

The other man attempted a muffled protest, but it was lost in Fox's chest as he sat up. Holding on to Alex, he rose to his feet and pulled the younger man up with him. Slowly, they walked to the bedroom, and he let Alex sink to the mattress before he retreated to the bathroom. Once there, he washed the drying semen away then rinsed the cloth in warm water and returned to the bedroom. A soft smile curved his lips as he moved to the bed. Alex was now lying on his side, face crushed into a pillow, soundly asleep. Smiling uncontrollably, he seated himself on the edge of the bed and, as gently as he could, turned the younger man onto his back and washed his hand and lower torso before carefully working his jeans down. A little moaning was all the resistance he incurred as he removed the pants and dabbed at his lover's depleted cock. 

Dropping the jeans at the foot of the bed, he walked over to the dresser and withdrew a pair of underwear. As he moved back to the bed, he chuckled softly to himself. 

Alex had turned again onto his side, unknowingly giving Fox a very tempting view of his rear. He emitted a soft grunt as a pair of warm hands gently wrestled him onto his back and began sliding a pair of dry underwear up his legs. 

"This'd go a lot easier if you'd pick your ass up a little, you know?" Fox commented quietly, not really expecting a response as he tried to get the shorts up the rest of the way, and nothing was exactly what he got. 

"Couldn't sleep all night, all day, now all of a sudden he can't keep his eyes open," Fox muttered, working the underwear slowly under the dead weight. Finally, he succeeded in his task and dropped a light kiss on the tip of Alex's nose before removing the soiled articles from the room. 

Shuffling into the living room, he heaved a long sigh and picked up the phone. After making plane reservations for ten a.m., he called Scully then settled down with the file he'd brought home and began to read. Two hours later, he dropped the file, rubbing at his eyes and looked toward the bedroom. 

No movement, no sound that he could detect. 

He rose from the sofa and tip toed to the door, peeking inside. 

Now on his stomach, Alex lay snoring softly, dead to the world. 

The thought that he should probably wake the sleeping man soon crossed his mind, but one more look at the sweet, sleep-flushed face, and he couldn't do it. But at only six in the afternoon, Fox wondered what the hell Alex was going to do at two in the morning when he'd probably be wide-awake. He grinned at one possibility and returned to the living room. Falling down across the sofa, he picked up the discarded file and continued reading. 

* * *

If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to Aries 


End file.
